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 [quote user="peterjenkinson1956"]These units are powered with a motor under each coach. They run at 125 mph    and have a range of 1350 miles. Could these trains some how be used to run medium haul (1000 miles to 1200 miles) at a higher speed than the present Amtrak trains run at?*Spelling and grammar fixed* [/quote] The current Amtrak P42s, Amfleet cars, and Viewliners used in the eastern US are capable of doing 90 (and routinely do). The Superliners can go at least 70 (possibly higher) and the Cascades Talgos can probably go 100 or more. It's the track that restricts their speed...And none of the European DMUs/EMUs would meet the current FRA standards. They wouldn't stand up to a collision with a regular American train. Just look at what happened to the (FRA certified but still relatively light) Metrolink F59 in the Chatsworth, CA, wreck - the UP SD70s just ripped it apart. Think of the consequenses if it had hit a light DMU instead of an EMD F59!  In Europe, there's few freight trains to hit - mostly other light DMU/EMUs or lighter locomotive-hauled trains. Plus, the European rail system is a lot safer; equipped with ATC and other methods to prevent wrecks.That brings up another question: Once all the rail lines with passenger trains in the US are equipped with ATC (I forget when the deadline is, but it's just a few years), do you think the FRA would be more willing to allow more lighter trains like the Cascades Talgos and the Acela?
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